Couple sentenced in health care fraud case

NEW ORLEANS — A federal judge has sentenced a Covington couple who admitted to taking part in a scheme in which they swindled more than $800,000 from a St. Tammany Parish sleep clinic.

Boyd and Angelina Leahy, both 45, were sentenced Thursday to three years and one month, and two years in federal prison, respectively. Each faced up to 10 years in prison.

The couple was named in a 17-count indictment filed in May. It accused the couple, who worked for Somno Diagnostics, of creating a fake business, which they used to bill insurance companies for services performed by their employers and then pocketing the proceeds.

Boyd Leahy also was accused of using Somno’s corporate credit card and business checking account to fund personal expenses, trips and household utilities. He also allegedly added his daughter, his father and a creditor to Somno’s payroll without authorization, so paychecks were being issued to those people when none of them had done any work for the clinic.

The Leahys each previously pleaded guilty to only one count — Boyd to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and Angelina to health care fraud. Per a plea agreement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Juliana Etland asked the judge to drop the 16 additional counts against them after Thursday’s sentencing.

Boyd Leahy must pay $827,000 in restitution to Somno Diagnostics, and Angelina Leahy must pay the clinic $52,200 in restitution, U.S. District Court Judge Carl Barbier ordered.